Minestrone is a thick, hearty Italian vegetable soup typically made with a mix of vegetables, beans, and pasta. This classic minestrone starts with a soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery sautéed in olive oil, then adds green beans, red kidney beans, canned diced tomatoes and elbow macaroni.
Minestrone is the perfect lighter and vegetable-rich soup that’s endlessly adaptable to what’s on hand or in season. This classic version combines a base of sautéed onion, carrots, and celery with canned diced tomatoes, canned green beans, canned red kidney beans, and elbow macaroni. Served topped with shaved Parmesan cheese.
Ready in just 30 minutes, classic minestrone is a great soup to enjoy for lunch or dinner, together with crusty Italian bread or alongside sandwiches.
Love minestrone?
Try my other seasonal minestrone recipes, too – Summer Minestrone and Fall Minestrone
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Onion – I’ve used red onion here, but only because it was all I had on hand. A regular yellow cooking onion is the best choice if available.
Broth – You can use either vegetable or chicken broth for this soup.
Canned tomatoes – This recipe uses both canned diced tomatoes and a small can of crushed tomatoes. For a bit of extra flavour, swap in fire-roasted diced tomatoes, such as Muir Glen. In a pinch, you can use whole canned tomatoes. Simply chop the whole canned tomatoes.
Canned beans – I’ve used canned red kidney beans here, which are classic, but white kidney beans would be a great substitute. Honestly, any canned beans would work just fine here, such as cannellini beans, navy beans, or borlotti beans. The beauty of minestrone is that it is endlessly adaptable to what you have on hand!
Pasta – I’ve used elbow macaroni here. Small shells or other small pasta shapes, such as ditali (ditalini), would also work well.
Green beans – I’ve used canned green beans here, which are a classic addition, though fresh green beans would also work really well. If using fresh green beans, add them to the soup with the canned tomatoes instead.
Parmesan rind – This is a great flavour addition to minestrone if you have one on hand. Otherwise, simply omit it and top with Parmesan shavings.
How to make classic minestrone soup: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Soften the onion and garlic, then add the carrot and celery to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add the tomato paste and cook briefly.
Step 3: Add the broth to the pot.
Step 4: Add the canned diced tomatoes to the pot.
Step 5: Add the canned crushed tomatoes to the pot. If using fresh green beans, add them now, as well.
Step 6: Add a Parmesan rind to the pot if you have one on hand! Simmer the broth and vegetables for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Step 7: Add the drained canned green beans to the pot, if using.
Step 8: Add the drained and rinsed red kidney beans to the pot.
Step 9: Add the dried elbow macaroni to the pot, together with some additional water and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
How to make classic minestrone: video
Recipe tips!
- Take your time softening the carrots, celery and onion, as this builds the flavour foundation for minestrone soup.
- I like to start with 4 cups of broth, then add more liquid, as needed, to cook the pasta. This prevents an overly thin soup, but also adapts well if you want to cook the pasta separately, in which case you’ll just need to use the initial 4 cups of broth.
- If cooking the pasta in the soup, be sure to stir regularly so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Don’t forget the salt! Salt is critical for bringing all the flavours of the soup together. Taste and salt as needed. If the soup tastes flat, it almost certainly just needs more salt.
What to serve with minestrone soup
A crusty bread, such as this easy 2-hour Italian bread, is perfect with minestrone. I also love a warm biscuit with soup, such as these buttermilk biscuits. Homemade focaccia is another great option alongside this classic Italian soup.
A simple green salad is a great side for soup. For a meal, focaccia sandwiches would be a perfect accompaniment.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
Minestrone with pasta is best enjoyed served right after cooking, as the pasta will begin to soak up the soup broth if made ahead or as it sits in the fridge. If you’d like to make it ahead or if you are making it to enjoy over several days, you may want to cook the pasta separately and add to the soup when reheating to serve.
Store leftover minestrone in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can freeze minestrone soup for up to 3 months, though if you are making the soup for the sole purpose of freezing it, you may want to skip the pasta and add it later when thawing and reheating, as it can turn mushy from the freeze/thaw process.
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Get the Recipe: Classic Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley leaves
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- Parmesan rind, optional
- 8 oz fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces or 14 oz canned cut green beans, drained
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup dried elbow macaroni, or similar small pasta
- 1-2 cups water, or additional broth
- salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve:
- shaved Parmesan cheese
- fresh basil leaves, chopped, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the 1 small onion (peeled and diced) and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the 4 cloves garlic (minced) and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the 2 stalks celery (diced) and 2 medium carrots (diced) and stir to combine. Cook, stirring regularly, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the 1 Tablespoon tomato paste to the pot and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute or until the tomato paste darkens in colour.
- Add the 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, Parmesan rind (optional) (if using), 28 oz canned diced tomatoes, and 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes to the pot. If using 8 oz fresh green beans (cut into 1-inch pieces or 14 oz canned cut green beans, drained), add them now as well. (If using canned green beans, add them later with the canned kidney beans.)
- Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, and 1 teaspoon dried parsley leaves, and stir in. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat until the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened (taste test to be sure, as carrots can sometimes need a bit of extra simmering time).
- Add the 15 oz canned red kidney beans (drained and rinsed) and 1 cup dried elbow macaroni (or similar small pasta) (and canned green beans, if using) to the pot. Add 1 cup of the 1-2 cups water (or additional broth) to the pot. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid the pasta sticking to the bottom of the pot and add additional water, as needed, to avoid an overly thick soup. Cook until the pasta is tender (taste test to be sure!).
- Taste the soup and season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed. If the soup tastes flat, it needs more salt! Serve immediately, topped with shaved Parmesan and chopped fresh basil, if desired.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Thin with additional broth when reheating.
Notes
Watch how to make it
More minestrone recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
